


Daggers Out

by lightkeykid



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Office AU, Secret Santa, holiday party, office Christmas party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:28:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22096393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightkeykid/pseuds/lightkeykid
Summary: Larxene wasn't expecting much from an office holiday party, but this Christmas might be luckier for her than she first expected.
Relationships: Demyx/Larxene (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 15
Collections: Kingdom Hearts Holiday Gift Exchange





	Daggers Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns/gifts).



Cheesy decorations? Check.

Tepid coffee? Check.

Repetitive Christmas music at 10 AM? Check.

Larxene groaned. It was too early in the morning to suffer through a work holiday party, let alone one without spiked eggnog. She would have rather avoided participating altogether, but their ever  annoying  morale committee chair ratted her out to Xemnas. The Superior was not pleased. In fact, she could remember his exact words.

“If you aren’t at the party, consider your Christmas bonus canceled.”

She shot a glare at the tattletale, Mr. Human Resources himself. Demyx gave her a cheeky grin and winked. It took every ounce of control not to fling her mugful of coffee at him. He barely did anything around the office all year, but once Christmas bells started ringing, he planned the annual Organization Holiday Party™. He even finagled upper management into, ugh, Secret Santa. 

Usually, Xemnas kept a tighter hold on Demyx’s holiday cheer, but this year was different. Budget cuts and rumors of downsizing and layoffs had started late November. Employees from various departments were asking about the current state of the company. If Demyx’s inane celebration could actually lift morale, then he would indulge his whims. Hence, their current predicament. If not for him, she wouldn’t be in this abominable yellow sweater. She would have dumped her coffee on it if she was not so sure Demyx had a backup in his office. He was the only reason she was wearing this. Him and his stupid puppy dog eyes. She fell for them every time.

“What a snoozefest, right?” Axel drawled beside her. “I’m surprised you showed up, El.” He wore a bright red sweater with a light up reindeer on it. How had she not seen him coming?

She clenched her fist. “Do not call me that.” Marluxia and his stupid drunken self blurted that out the one time she let him drink, and Axel could not let it go. “Anyway, I like having money and free food. Why are you here?”

He laughed. “I’m here for Secret Santa. I have it on good authority that it’s going to be good.” He wiggled his eyebrows. 

Larxene raised her own back at him. “How? All of our coworkers are stingy bastards with no creativity.”

“Thank you for that compliment, Larxene.” Saix appeared out of nowhere and wrapped his arm around Axel. He held him close to his side. 

She waved a hand at them. “Aren’t there rules against interoffice relationships?” 

Axel held up one finger. “We are not on the same team. Plus, those rules are for direct reports. Unless I’m sleeping with Xemnas, we’re good. And,” he said, putting up another finger. “Human Resources is a joke. With Demyx in charge, I’m surprised we get our paychecks.”

Larxene had a sassy retort but held back. Despite his many drawbacks, Demyx did try to make it an okay working environment. He never returned the paperwork she needed on time, but he was a good boss to his team. Plus, his late paperwork was in better shape than most of the other Organization members. “Knock it off. Useless or not, you should still respect him.” She did not elaborate, and Saix tugged Axel away to find him someone else to pester.

Not even one moment of peace passed when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Larxene growled. Did no one understand that people standing in the corner wanted to be left alone? She turned and found Demyx standing there. “What do you want?” She failed to hold back her ire in the words.

He wore a pensive face. “That was oddly nice of you,” He finally said quietly. 

She huffed and turned away. She didn’t need these guys to think that she had a soft side. Larxene was in charge of Ethics and Quality Control. If she gave even an inch, they’d never get their paperwork to her. She depended on their fear.

“Anyway, I appreciate it. I know I’m the butt of the joke around here, and the others don’t take me too seriously.”

“If you didn’t act like a child around the holidays, maybe they would,” she muttered. Even as she said them, Larxene knew they were too harsh. She glanced at him. His face was away from hers, but she could see his red ears.

He cleared his throat and said, “It’s not professional behavior, I admit. Still, I do everything that is needed of me.” He met her gaze. Not many people looked her in the eye, let alone Demyx. His eyes held a certain kind of sadness. One that she couldn’t name. “It may not seem like it to the rest of you, but I was hired for a reason. I am capable of doing my job.”

“Demyx…” Larxene started, but was at a loss for words.

“Don’t worry. I’ll tone it down.” Before she could voice her thoughts, he strolled back into the crowd of people.

Larxene watched as he shook hands with every employee he came across. He asked how their family was doing. He took the time to ask their plans for the three-day Christmas break. He wore a smile, but even from this distance, she could tell it was strained. A weight settled on her stomach. Wait… was that guilt? She took another swig of her coffee. Of all days to forget a whiskey flask, she thought.

How much longer did she have to suffer through this party?

—

The twelve members of the Organization’s management team filed into the conference room for their Secret Santa Exchange. They sat in order of seniority, with Larxene bringing up the rear as the youngest member of the group. Demyx already arranged their gifts into their corresponding seats.

“In front of you is the package your Secret Santa dropped off to me. In the spirit of fairness, and because I know what you all earn, the minimum was 20 bucks for the gift. Let's hope none of you cheaped out." Demyx pointedly looked at Luxord. Out of them all, he was the sliest and willing to find any loophole in a game.

Luxord raised his coffee mug to him. "No promises, my boy."

Xaldin groaned from the other end of the table. "I will pay another 20 just to get him to shut up." He didn't specify which him nor was it necessary. Everyone knew that bar Larxene, he was the least interested in the holiday proceedings. 

Demyx took the hint and waved his arms at the group. "Go ahead. Open your gifts! You have until the end of the work day to wonder who it was. And," he drew out. "No asking me. The software will send you your respective Santa. Happy Holidays!"

Larxene did not expect what occurred next. Her usually misanthropic and aloof coworkers ripped into the presents in front of them. Lexeaus pulled out a giant letter opener and started hacking at the various layers of ribbons and bows his gifter placed.

Xigbar was the first to unwrap his present fully, and his smirk was replaced with a hint of a smile. "Okay, this is kinda nice." In his hand he held a velvet lined eyepatch that looked like royalty compared to his normal one. "Who did this?"

Before anyone responded, Demyx wagged his finger. "No. Unless you guess, you don't get to know."

Larxene took that time to open hers. Inside was a sturdy wooden case with a latch. She slowly undid the latch and lifted the lid. She held back the gasp, in case anyone else was snooping.

Inside sat a dual set of small daggers with her initials, her real initials, engraved on the hilt. They were ice blue with filigree yellow sparks on the blade. They reminded her of- no, it couldn’t be. She lifted one off the velvet bedding and tested the weight balance. 

It was perfect.

She glanced at her team and saw their presents as well. Axel received an ornament with a flame inside. Someone gave Saix a new night shooting lens for his camera. Demyx was already playing with his ukulele. Larxene’s lip tugged up. At least she was able to make his gift exchange better than she treated him earlier. 

Everyone looked delighted with their presents. Even Xemnas seemed to enjoy his gift. But who could have given hers? Only Marluxia knew her well enough to give her something like this, and she knew he wasn’t her Secret Santa. 

She studied each of them. Xemnas most likely gave Zexion his management science book. Xaldin looked too pleased when he saw Vexen tinkering around with a little microscope. Xigbar was too self-centered to give something so nice. He probably gave Luxord his $20 gift card. The rest were too dimwitted to know about this. 

Except maybe one.

Larxene caught Demyx sneaking out of the conference room. She set her box down in front of Marluxia with a terse, “Don’t use them on Axel.”

She followed him down the hallway toward the holiday party. Before he could make it there, she pulled him into a nook. “How’d you know to get the daggers?” Larxene asked, pressing against him.

“How did you guess it was me?” Demyx said with a soft laugh. He had a stupid smile on his face.

She leaned in closer. “Lucky guess. How did you know?” She repeated looking into his eyes.

“Lucky guess?” He tried

She narrowed her eyes.“Cut the crap.”

Demyx sighed and dropped his head. His bangs brushed her forehead. “You aren’t as closed up as you seem. In fact, you’re pretty damn expressive. You have little grin when Marly calls you El.”

“He hates it when you call him that,” she muttered.

“And you probably don’t remember, but you told me about your fascination with daggers. How when you were a little kid, your parents took you to a museum, and you saw some historical knife collection. Inside one of the cases was a beautiful one, used by a queen to protect herself from an assassination attempt.”

“When did I tell you that?” She murmured.

“Last New Year’s Eve when we were the only ones awake after everyone passed out drunk.”

She took a little step away. How could she have forgotten about that night? The younger members of the management team had celebrated her first anniversary at the Organization. The others partied more than she ever thought they could. Axel and Saix were slumped over each other in a corner. Zexion slept on a pool table while Marluxia snored on the bar. Meanwhile, she remembered laying her relatively sober head on a sturdy shoulder and talking. They talked about everything. Their childhoods, their interests, their lives. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been so mean today,” Larxene whispered, dropping her arms.

He took her hands. “I understand. I’m too much sometimes.”

“How much did you spend on this? And don’t lie,” she threatened.

Demyx tugged her closer and whispered into her ear, “A little more than $20.”

Larxene dug her nails into his left hand. “The truth.”

He smirked. “Maybe if you give me a kiss?”

She freed one of her hands and took his chin in her hand. “Isn’t that against company policy? Interpersonal relationships and all that. Shouldn’t Human Resources care more about that?” She moved closer to his lips.

“I have no power over you, and you have no power over me. We’re just colleagues.” He stopped just short of hers.

“Just?” She finally connected their lips. His, she had to admit, were quite soft. 

Demyx pulled back with a different smile. A softer one. “Still not telling you how much it was.”

Larxene gave him her own wry grin and leaned close to whisper in his ear. “Then I’m not telling you how much your ukulele was.” With a small laugh, she returned to their kiss. She could faintly hear some snickering in the background. Maybe even a camera flash going off. 

Maybe she could practice using her fancy new daggers on the cameraman later.


End file.
